Staying Productive During the Holidays

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As the holidays near, some employers are overly concerned with maintaining productivity. However, while productivity is important, don’t go mad with Draconian methods and end up being the office Grinch! With that being said, here are some points to remember so you can get the most of your team while providing a holly jolly workspace.

Plan Events/Holiday Activities

Providing festive breaks or events during the workweek can help boost your productivity, and provide a cheerful atmosphere. The activities can either be daily rituals, office outings, or company-relevant contests/games. All this will also help foster a sense of community, and hopefully laughter, which can boost productivity by 10%. We at Coded People are having our own version of The 12 Days of Christmas, where we participate in a unique activity every workday. There are some great office Christmas game/activity ideas out there!

Do Not Discriminate On Time Off

Some of your employees may ask for time off to spend with their children, or family coming into town. However, just because other members of your team don’t have large family plans, or children to look after, do not discriminate on the amount of time your employees take off. Be fair in distributing time off, and give every employee the same opportunity.

Map Out Holidays In Advance

If your business has to be open during the holidays, make sure you are clear about the requirement. Obviously, your employers will want time off, so they can spend it with family and friends. Nevertheless, if you don’t want your office completely empty, make sure to communicate accordingly with your team. Construct a schedule that everyone can work with and ensures your team is productive, but also well rested going into the new year. This will help you to avoid agitated employees, and ease any holiday stress around the office.

Offer Remote Work With Realistic Expectations

You have probably heard the quote between a CFO and CEO in various LinkedIn memes and posts:

CFO

“What happens if we invest in developing our people and they leave us?”

CEO

“What happens if we don’t, and they stay?”

This mentality of trust and investment is relevant here too. Offer remote work to your team if it will help them to better manage their work-life balance. This will provide an atmosphere of greater comfort, and productivity while establishing a certain level of trust. If you don’t trust them to complete their tasks, perhaps you need to reconsider and assess their work ethic or rethink the kind of atmosphere you have created for them. Trust and devotion in your business can only be built when you realize that your employees are valued, trusted, and competent.